We plan to study the intracellular responses of taste bud cells of Necturus and/or frog. We want to determine whether adjacent cells are electrically coupled, whether interactions occur between adjacent taste buds and what is the relationship between hyperpolarizing responses and the quality and intensity of the chemical stimulus. We also plan to study the extracellular responses of first order neurons of the glosspharyngeal nerve of Necturus. We want to determine stimulus- response functions for a wide variety of taste solutions and to determine whether interactions occur between neurons with adjacent or overlapping receptive fields. In a third project we plan to study NaCl and KCl preference functions of Japanese and New Zealand genetically hypertensive rats. We also want to determine whether there are differences in neural responses to account for the preference differences between the two strains. Urine and blood tests will be performed to assess possible differences in salt metabolism between the two groups. Bibliographic references: Kutyna, F.A. and R.A. Bernard. Effects of antidromic activity in gustatory nerve fibers on taste receptors of the frog tongue. Proc. XXVI Int'l. Cong. Physiol. Sci., New Delhi, 1974; Samanen, D.W., W.D. Kryda and R.A. Bernard. Electron microscopic observations of the taste system of the mudpuppy, (Necturus maculosus). Proc. Mich. Chap. Soc. Neuroscience, 6th Spring Meeting, 1975.